FormerHimachal Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said the state government should order an impartial enquiry into the alleged irregularity in utilisationoffunds received under Central projects.
Dhumal, the leader of Opposition in Himachal Assembly, took a serious note of the failure of the state Environment Directorate in depositing the Provident Fund (PF) of the employees of Arya Bhatt Geo Information and Space Application Centre for three years.
"It is a serious irregularity in utilisationoffunds received under Central projects and the government should order an impartial enquiry into the matter and punish the defaultingofficers in the directorate," he said in a statement.
Dhumal alleged that as'retired and tired' officers are getting more importance in the present government with corrupt people on top, the genuine and honest officers were feeling humiliated and sidelined.
"That is why the administrative machinery has collapsed in the state under thepresent government," Dhumal said.
He also said that not only the Environment Directorate but most of other departments had been indulging in irregularities by throwing norms to the wind and there is complete lawlessness in the present regime and it is a kind of 'Jungle Raj'.
Dhumal alleged that the Congress governments in the state and Centre have always meted out injustice to the people of Himachal Pradesh and during the UPA regime at the Centre, most of other states were given 126 per cent increase in devolution of funds by the 13th Finance Commission, but Himachal was given only 50 per cent increase, which was the lowest in the country.
He claimed that the state had to bear losses to the tune of Rs 10,725 Crore due to deficit in central grants from the Centre.
"Looking into this discrimination, the NDA government at the Centre this time has approved Rs 40,625 Crore to Himachal in the 14th Finance Commission. Apart from it, the state would get additional help of Rs 85,000 crore from the Centre under different centrally-sponsored schemes.
He said treating Himachal as a special category state, the Centre would help the state to the extent of 90 per cent and in spite of this, the state government is rising loans.
Dhumal claimed that in three years of rule, the Congress government has taken loans of over Rs 9,500 crore and had put the state into debt trap.
"Wherethe Central finance allocated to HP have gone, the government is spending the money sanctioned by the Centre without following any rules and regulationsas if it is the last innings of Congress in Himachal Pradesh," the former CM said.
Speaking at the gathering, BJP Kangra MP Shanta Kumar
alleged, "The little development that happened during Congress rule in India was without social justice."
"The benefit was conveyed only to the upper-classes. That is why the poor in Indiaare poorer than many in African countries," the former chief minister claimed.
He said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is serious about the Chinese building railway infrastructure close to Indian borders.
"The Centre has decided to develop the Pathankot-Leh broad gauge railway line and survey for it has been done twice. Crores of rupees has been alloted for the project in the current Budget," Kumar claimed.
He said the central government is willing to develop the state at a large scale to make it the best tourist destination.
"Money cannot be a restriction, a working government is needed, and BJP should be the best choice keeping in mind that it is there in the Centre too," he said
Former Dharamshala MLA Kishan Kapoor and state BJP chief Sat Pal Satti also spoke at the gathering.
